Reservoirs
A reservoir is an artificial lake, used to store rain water. We have 65 impounding reservoirs located in some of the most beautiful parts of Wales. They are formed by constructing a dam across a valley containing a river or series of streams. Before this water arrives at your tap it is piped to a treatment works where it is cleaned to meet drinking water standards.
Reservoirs can be full of nutrients which enable plants and animals to thrive. And around many reservoirs you can see a rich and vast array of wildlife. Although many reservoirs are not safe to visit, some of our larger sites have Visitor Centres, bird hides, nature trails and much more!
Did you know?…
1 Building an embankment or dam to preserve a supply of water for irrigation is an ancient practice; India and Egypt have some of the oldest and largest reservoirs.
2 The world’s largest reservoir is Lake Volta in Ghana.
3 Five thousand years ago, the craters of extinct volcanoes in Arabia were used as reservoirs by farmers for their irrigation water.
4 A major loss of water from reservoirs is by evaporation.
5 Reservoirs are dangerous, the water can be deep and very cold - NEVER SWIM IN RESERVOIRS.
